Friday 5 June 2009

Friday Evening



No-one is around on a Friday, so it makes no difference what is written here does it?
So here is a poem instead.



A Man's a Man for A' That


Is there for honesty poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that;
The coward slave - we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a' that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that.

A price can mak a belted knight,
A marquise, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
That man to man, the world o'er,
Shall brithers be for a' that.

3 comments:

Strawberry Girl said...

So thick an accent... hard for me to read (pity the American) ;D

Strawberry Girl said...

Actually, I get it. Burns is making a mockery a bit of those with their rich finery who think they are better than the poor. Saying that the poor have more integrity and good sense.

Adullamite said...

When Burns, a farmers boy, arrived in Edinburgh he was in the company of the intellectual elite. His first book of poetry had been a sensation (even though Edinburgh folk could not understand his accent either! He got on well with them, especially the ladies, but there are big differences between a clever worker and the high society. he went back to the farm and soon became a customs man.
Possibly the poem reflects his view of those 'high head ones' who have the position but not the talent. It could also be he felt rejected, or just out of place.
The poem states we are all the same, whatever the level we are at. A man's a man, whatever his level, and we are all brothers!